Girl Scout Cookies Anyone?

Majority of America is a fan of Girl Scout Cookies...the tiny boxes that hold enormous goodness. Growing up, my mom would buy these occasionally from a co-worker, who was selling them for her daughter. Even though my mom bought a box or two, we always complained over the high price we had to pay for only a few cookies. But it's hard to resist those Girl Scout Cookies, especially the Thin Mints and Samoas...mmmm, my favorite. For a lot of people, it's just hard to resist the actual Girl Scout who works hard to sell her cookies...it's rare, I know. It's been years since I've seen an actual little girl selling them. It's basically the adults hounding you to buy them. Back to Girl Scouts...years ago was the last time I had one approach my door to sell her cookies and I moaned. I didn't want to be rude. I didn't want to spend $4 for about 12 cookies. I opened the door and it was my 6 year old neighbor with her mom proudly standing on the sidewalk. I wanted to stick to my guns, just say no, I didn't need them....and that's when I heard it. The tiny purple box of Samoas screaming my name, just begging to be eaten. I tried to resist, asked a few dumb questions in order to stall while I had an inner struggle. The carmely Samoas were relentless...chanting, taunting me. I caved and bought a box. Never again I pledged. And I haven't.

I believe the sale is over in most places by now. The temptation has subsided. However, just thinking of those Samoas makes my mouth water. It's a good thing I found this site. It has recipes for homemade Girl Scout Cookies. Hooray!! Enjoy!

Sick ...Again

It seems like we have been sick since November. Is that possible? It really has been off and on. But since January, we just keep catching every cold, flu bug, or virus that comes near. It's so frustrating. I've never used so much Lysol and anti-bacterial wipes in such a short amount of time before. Nor have I done so much laundry!

This past ordeal was with the Noro Virus...not pretty. I thought I was going to die. I'll spare you much of the details.

The kids first received colds after playing with their cousins. So we had three snot nosed coughers. W then brought the first signs of the disastrous virus into the home a few days after church. He threw up in bed and experienced his first blow out. Oh no...wash everything, hopefully it doesn't spread. The next day, I'm casually making dinner. Hmmm...my stomach doesn't feel so great. After dinner...my enchilada is really not sitting well with me. Seconds after A leaves for Scouting, I hit the bathroom with excessive speed. Not good...this is not good. I put E to bed almost an hour early and started to get the boys ready. It was difficult to do when every 10 minutes I'm sprinting to the bathroom.

By the time A got home, I could barely stand from the fatigue. He was shocked to see me so sick as he poured me some juice. Yum...fantastic juice...White Grape Peach juice. Too bad I couldn't keep it down. But on a positive note, we have now found a remedy to freshen the smell of vomit. Drink White Grape Peach juice! It makes a world of difference.

My sweet husband helped me upstairs and ran a bath for me. It was about midnight and as I'm soaking, E woke with fright. Yip...she threw up. Daddy put her in the bath as I washed her bed sheets. We heard coughing from the boys room and then throwing up. Our nightmare had begun.

We made a little towel bed for E on our bedroom floor. She had a special bucket just for her, which we had to teach her how to use. She was so scared to throw up and it took a lot of convincing to get her to throw up in the bucket rather than swallow it. Ewww...gross, I know.

A took the next 2 days off. His entire family was stricken with a gut bombing virus! It was a rough night to say the least. E and I were chattin' it up with the toilet and special bucket all night. So, the next day wasn't much better. O threw up two more times, but the boys mostly suffered from diarrhea...one explosion after another. Only one out of four people over here could make it to the bathroom...the washing machine was constantly going. Everyone's bed linens (kids' linens 4-5 times), every towel we own, several movie watching blankets, and 3-4 outfits from each child each day, and several outfits from us because what child can resist puking or pooping on mom and dad...yeah, a ton of laundry.

So, everyone but A was on a clear liquid diet, little sips at a time, which was so hard when your babies are crying for food. E cried as she literally begged us for eggs all day long. Poor A almost lost it. His stomach began to rumble half way through the day, so he took a break and napped. I think we all napped off and on throughout the day. It was strange. Thank goodness A never got sick.

By day 2 we thought the worst had passed, after all, the virus claims a 48 hour life alteration. We fed E bits of cracker, pretzels, and applesauce. For dinner, I thought we could handle a little bit of chicken noodle soup. We were gravely mistaken as she woke screaming. Before reaching E's door, A knew she had thrown up again as he hears her say to herself, "It's ok E, it's ok...Mommy and Daddy will come clean you up." As Daddy washed her in the bath, I scooped vomit out of the entire top half of her bed. Not only did I have to wash everything on her bed, but also about three feet of her wall which was sprayed. Not pretty...

The boys continued to have disastrous explosions out the backside and we were getting worried. O could spare a few lost pounds, but poor W was way too skinny. We knew they weren't dehydrated, but they weren't drinking much. We were working on day 3 and 4 here. We consulted a health clinic and found we were doing fine. If the boys didn't improve in a few days, we needed to take them to see the doctor. Thankfully, within a few more days they were wearing clean shorts, eating better, and playing more like themselves. E was also back to herself. They still had colds, but hey, I'd rather wipe runny noses any day! A was back at work and I was 10 pounds lighter and still doing laundry.

We took lots of baths.

A family picture was taken during our near death experience. We were all in bed. We looked rough. Here's E putting on a brave face.

Things we learned and are helpful:

1. Drink White Grape Peach juice- you will be so grateful
2. Flushable wipes are a necessity
3. Waterproof wherever a sick child sits or sleeps
4. Have plenty of movies
5. Lysol and/or Antibacterial Wipes and bleach to aid in cleaning and killing bacteria
6. A fan to help with nausea and clear unpleasant vapors quickly
7. Oxi Clean will remove any stubborn stain
8. Don't believe a 3 year old when she says she feels better

We followed this from a doctor:
Guidelines for Eating & Drinking
1. After vomiting, do not eat or drink anything for 1 to 2 hours.
2. Next 2 hours: sips every 10 minutes.
3. Next 2 hours: increase sipping.
4. Next 2 hours, drink fluids at will.
5. After above liquids are tolerated, you may progress to the following:
~Dry toast (no butter), cheerios, pretzels, saltine crackers.
~Dilute juices (1/2 water:1/2 juice)
~Plain baked potato, rice, plain pasta
~Chicken noodle soup
If vomiting recurs at any step, go back to step #1.

And this:
PROGRESSIVE BLAND DIET EXAMPLE
Day 1... of Diarrhea or Vomiting (first 24 hours)
Drink Clear Liquids at room temperature:
• Sports Drinks (i.e. Powerade/Gatorade)
• Weak Tea (decaffeinated)
• Jello
• Non-Caffeinated sodas – flat sodas are best (7-Up, Sprite, Gingerale)
Day 2 … Slowly add bland foods in SMALL amounts as you can tolerate throughout the day.
Examples:
• Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat
(instant microwavable or regular made with water, not milk)
• Dry Cereal (no milk) (i.e. cheerios, corn flakes)
• Plain Rice or Pasta (no butter, oil, or sauces)
• Crackers or Pretzels
• Gingersnaps
• Plain Toast (no butter or jelly)
• Mashed Potatoes (no skins)
• Bananas (best if ripe)
• Apple Sauce & Canned Fruits (i.e. pears, peaches)
• Chicken noodle soup
Day 3… Gradually add more variety of foods in smaller more frequent meals evenly spaced throughout the day.
Examples:
• Soft boiled eggs or scrambled eggs
• Plain Baked Potato
• Fish or Chicken (no skin) well-cooked, baked or grilled (not fried)
• Plain or Vanilla Yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Cooked Carrots or Green beans
• Milk - consume skim or low-fat milk after diarrhea has stopped.

Big Snow

We had our first decent snow at the beginning of February. By the time E and I got to the backyard, it had quickly started to melt. But it was still exciting. We're big fans of occasional snow. Despite our colds, we ventured out.

The boys didn't like being left behind.

Welcome March! March brought us a well deserved rain shower that turned into a fabulous snow storm. We were so excited. Reports were coming in about possible inches of snow and it kept climbing up to 5-10 inches. (Granted people, this is NC. We don't get good snows very often. Utah people are laughing I'm sure). Well, we got it! We got about 6 inches of beautiful snow. Now since it rained first we were concerned about losing power, so before the snow arrived, I got out our candles, had plenty of clothes out for the kids to bundle up, and gathered plenty of food to munch.

Look at her...she likes snow... I was surprised she stayed out for a couple hours.

We had the brilliant idea to use our laundry basket to sled down our backyard slopes. Daddy was getting a good workout pulling everyone around. E had a good time with her friend from up the street.

The boys came out this time. After several layers of clothes, sleepers, and big sister apparel, they were ready.

Since we were still sick, they weren't out too long.

Daddy even pulled me along and I was surprised at how fast we got. It reminded me of snow tubing when I was younger. But I soon found out Daddy's intentions...sharp turn and splat...right into the snow!

Thanks A!

Here's A about to take his turn down the slope. Our neighbor did the honors.

Now it's over...completely melted and Spring is on the way here. I think it's supposed to be 70 tomorrow. Ahh...that was a fun day. However, nothing like the week of snow fun we had back in January of 2000. THAT was awesome. I was back at school and we got hit with about 22 inches of snow. How could I be snowed in and not see A? Well, my sweet and daring fiance came to my rescue. Armed with snow boots, a shovel, and a trunk full of sand and mulch, he whisked me away to his parents house where we stayed snowed in for a week of wood burning fires, snowman building, hot chocolate drinking and movie watching. Now that was a good snow storm.

Be My Valentine

After sleeping in on Valentine's Day, E and A woke me up with a pink heart. Written upon the heart was a clever poem from my hubby, which led me on a treasure hunt through the house and solving clues along the way. It was fun and the poems were humorous and very touching. At the end, I found one of my favorite candy bars, which I haven't had in years...a king size Whatchamacallit. I love my hubby. You know...I think I can make a homemade version of that bar. That way we can spread the love all year long. I'll have to experiment.
E and I made Daddy a vase full of heart shaped flowers for his office. We cut hearts into potatoes and stamped them onto a grocery bag. Cut them out. Threw in some pipe cleaner and buttons. Arranged flowers. Ta-da! He loved them.

February Recap

What an exhausting month! We have been so preoccupied with other things that I haven't had time to blog. It seems we have experienced much more than 28 days of growth, new tasks, snowstorms, and sickness. What a month...

Let's see...for W (at 10 months) he has been walking for the past month and loves his ability to walk and carry toys at the same time. He has also been talking a lot more with "daddy" being his favorite word. He is still a very picky eater. He wears 6-9 month clothes and refuses to wear socks. He enjoys playing catch and peek-a-boo. He's an extreme screamer...shattering glass screamer. It's lovely when big sister mimics him...over and over.

O has been amazing everyone by how quickly he's attempting to do new things. He tries to copy just about everything E and W do. As a result, he harms himself several times a day. But at the age of 7 months, not only can he crawl, but he can pull up on anything, maneuver himself through chair and table legs, climb stairs, and walks on his legs with his hands still on the ground. He wears 12-18 month clothes. He will eat anything in sight. He's my IRobot Roomba.

E has been extremely sensitive and emotional this month. We've had a lot of meltdowns. She's phasing herself out of a nap and it's not going well. However, we've had lots of hugs, kisses, and expressions of gratitude from E. She's telling stories, coloring pictures, and has been pretty excellent playing quietly while the boys sleep. She's been doing really well staying dry through the night. Her favorite shape right now is the triangle . She likes to make them out of the food she eats and then count the sides and corners.

Other fun things this month:

Lots of basket rides through the living room, which includes several pillow "bumps" to slide over or sometimes fly over.

Lots of blanket rides...very funny to see who can stay on the longest.

Cousin Laurel came to play.

First time shopping. Of course it was Costco because of the wonderful 2 seater cart.

Several baths for the boys, whether they liked it or not.

She let me braid her hair for the first time.

E decided she didn't want to sleep in her bed for a few nights. She made her own bed on the floor and slept there with some friends.

During "nap time" E has been dressing herself with whatever she can find. It's pretty normal to find her with 4-6 layers of clothes on.

Tons of brotherly love.